Iloilo City to close cemeteries from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2
People should be allowed to visit their departed loved ones in cemeteries during the Undas holidays but in a staggered manner, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said yesterday.
Roque said he will introduce the proposal to members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for their consideration.
“Naniniwala naman po ako na importante sa mga Filipino ang Undas. Tayo lang po ang may ganiyan sa buong daigdig,” he said in a televised briefing.
Mexico and other Latin American countries celebrate Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead every November 1 and 2.
“Ang aking rekomendasyon, gawin na lang natin na hindi All Saints Day kung hindi mag-allot siguro tayo ng apat hanggang limang araw depende rin sa family name ng namatay kung sino ang pupuwedeng pumunta sa mga sementeryo nang hindi po lahat magdagsaan sa isang araw lamang,” Roque said.
In Iloilo City, Mayor Jerry Treñas is set to issue an executive order closing all private and public cemeteries from October 30 to November 2, 2020.
Metro Manila mayors, meanwhile, will meet on Sunday to discuss guidelines, including possible temporary closure of cemeteries, to be implemented during the Undas holidays this November.
Aside from Iloilo City, San Juan and Mandaluyong in Metro Manila and Angeles City in Pampanga have ordered the temporary closure of cemeteries for All Souls and All Saints Days to avoid crowding amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
At present, visits to open-air memorial parks and cemeteries in areas under general community quarantine will be limited to not more than 10 persons each group.
The number of groups allowed at any given time is subject to the discretion of the management of such memorial parks and cemeteries. (GMA News)